Miss Ollie’s: Still Going Strong

I went to Miss Ollie’s a couple times when they first opened, but that was about four years ago, and I had been wanting to revisit. So when a friend threw out a few suggestions for dinner, I chose it after about 2.5 seconds of contemplation.

Miss Ollie’s is named after Chef Sarah Kirnon’s grandmother and it specializes in Caribbean cuisine. On the day I was there, the space was full and strangers were chatting with each other in a way that made it feel more like a friend’s house than a restaurant.

We started with Plantains drizzled in Garlic Oil and I loved the savory-sweet flavor combo and the soft texture. But he doesn’t do mushy foods, so I had the “tough” job of eating all of them myself.

He ordered the Fried Chicken, and must’ve been really hungry, because he started eating a piece before I snapped this picture. But I shouldn’t be too hard on him because he also let me have a piece of my own and it was flavorful, crunchy and juicy. And while it wasn’t exactly my favorite fried chicken, it was incredibly satisfying.

I wanted to try something different and the server recommended the Jerk Hen, so that’s what I ordered. Enrobed in an intense marinade, it was tender, while the fried yucca was both salty and crispy. And the sweet and sour ketchup was so addictive, I could’ve brought home a couple bottles.

The food at Miss Ollie’s was soulful and it both filled me up and made me smile. As we left, I found myself thinking about how happy I was to see that it was still going strong.